Hollywood Makes It So Easy: Pee-Wee Herman To Make Comeback!

Jason Morris

December 11, 2009

Ok, I hate to even write this posting because like many of you; I am a huge Pee-Wee Herman fan! However, I would be negligent if I didn’t. Hollywood makes it so easy. I could spend the rest of my life writing blogs about stories they create!! Today is no exception. Pee-Wee Herman is mounting a huge comeback. “The Pee-wee Herman Show,” opening next month in downtown Los Angeles at Club Nokia theater, cost millions to produce. It boasts 11 actors, 20 puppets and marks the show’s first production since 1982.

In July 1991, while visiting relatives, Reubens was arrested in Sarasota, Florida for masturbating publicly in an adult theater while watching a triple bill of Catalina Five-O: Tiger Shark, Nurse Nancy and Turn up the Heat. Detectives would periodically visit pornographic theatres and observe the audience, arresting those engaged in indecent exposure. After having arrested other men, a detective who had been observing Reubens stopped him while he was on his way out. While detectives looked at his driver’s license, Reubens told them, “I’m Pee-wee Herman”, and then offered to do a children’s benefit for the sheriff’s office “to take care of this”. The next day, after a local reporter recognized Reubens’ name, Reubens’ attorney made the same offer to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in exchange for withholding the story. This was not Reubens’ first arrest in the county; in 1971 he was arrested for loitering and prowling near an adult theater, though charges were later dropped. His second arrest was in 1983 when Reubens was placed on two years’ probation for possession of marijuana, although adjudication was withheld. The night of the arrest Reubens fled to Nashville, where his sister and lawyer lived, and then to New Jersey, where he would stay for the following months at his friend Doris Duke’s estate.

I wish it stopped there, but unfortunately it doesn’t.

In November 2002, while filming David La Chapelle’s video for Elton John’s “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore”, Reubens learned that policemen were at his house with a search warrant, acting on a tip from a witness in the pornography case against actor Jeffrey Jones, finding among over 70,000 items of kitsch memorabilia, two grainy videotapes and dozens of what the city attorney’s office characterized as a collection of child pornography. Kelly Bush, Reubens’ personal representative at the time, said the description of the items was inaccurate and claimed the objects were “Rob Lowe’s sex videotape and a few 30- to 100-year-old kitsch collectible images”. Reubens turned himself in to the Hollywood division of the LAPD and was charged with possession of obscene material improperly depicting a child under the age of eighteen in sexual conduct. The District Attorney looked at Reubens’ collection and computer and found no grounds for bringing any felony charges against him, while the city attorney brought misdemeanor charges against Reubens “on the very last day” that the statute would allow.Reubens was represented by Hollywood criminal defender lawyer Blair Berk. In December he pleaded not guilty through Berk, who also complained that the city attorney failed to turn over evidence to the defense, which City Attorney Richard Katz countered that prosecutors were not required to do until after arraignment, after which they did; neither side disclosed the contents.

Now just to be clear, we would never, EVER use Wikipedia for background checks, its simply a source.

Mr. Rubens has several offenses in his lifetime. Criminal recidivism rates for any offender is noteworthy and certainly justifies an employers right to screen employees. For you screening professionals out there, we understand this opens a quagmire of legal issues under California reporting laws; we can debate that later! Lets hope Pee-Wee (Paul Rubens) is using this as an opportunity to turn his life around!

A veteran screening and risk management professional, Jason Morris founded EmployeeScreenIQ in 1999 and acts as the company’s chief operating officer and president. Morris is a frequent speaker delivering captivating, interactive discussions on background checks, global screening, recruitment and staffing. He educates audiences in best practice initiatives as they relate to organizational employment screening programs. Morris has been quoted in numerous business and industry publications including The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC.com, USA Today, New York Times, among others. He is also a licensed private investigator in the states of Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, Texas, Arizona and Nevada.